Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012   I Testified Concerning John the Baptist

Page 101-102         Matthew 11:2-19; Luke 7:18-35

The religious leaders resisted Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God because Jesus did not meet their expectations of the Messiah. They weren’t the only ones who felt that way. John sent his disciples to meet with Jesus because his faith in Jesus was wavering. John was worried that he was wrong about Jesus because Jesus was not meeting his expectations of the Messiah.

I need to remember this because, if I am honest, there are times when Jesus does not meet my expectations. I confess that there are times when I am impatient with the ways of God. I wish God moved faster to answer prayers, punish injustice and renew the face of the earth. My impatience is accompanied by anxiety and worry.

Oswald Chambers has helped me understand that when I am worrying, it is because I am not nourishing the life of Christ in me. Worry means there is something over which I cannot have my own way. Worry or disappointment is in reality evidence of my personal irritation with God. Ouch! The purpose of prayer is to nourish the life of Christ within me. Worry means I am more focused on circumstances than I am on becoming the person God created me to be.

There were two responses to Jesus in today’s reading. “All the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right” (Luke 7:29), but the “Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them” (Luke 7:30). The different responses reveal one of the greatest obstacles in our quest to make the life in Christ our way of life. Our expectations about what God should be like, what God should do, get in the way of the truth of Christ.

Even John the Baptist stumbled over his own expectations of what the Messiah would be like, what the Messiah would do. Being a faithful disciple of the Messiah who is not what we expected is hard work. When I am stumbling over my expectations, I am placing myself at the center of my life. When I place Christ at the center of my life, I will come to know that God’s way is right. His way requires that I do the hard work of truly knowing myself, which is the only way I know to enter into the Kingdom of God.

(Oswald Chambers is well known for his classic devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest. His book, If You Will Ask – Reflections on the Power of Prayer, is the best book on prayer I have read. The little book is available from Amazon.com in both text and kindle.)

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Thursday, November 29, 2012     I Was Anointed with Perfume 

and Tears & Several Women Joined Me as I Traveled 

Page 102-103         Luke 7:36-50; Luke 8:1-3